That One Scar
by UnleashTheKnightMare
Summary: Percy Jackson is tired and angry when he is summoned to the throne room. With a past of abuse, Percy makes the gods listen to him when they demand his past handed to them. (May turn into more).
1. Chapter One

**A/N: I do not own the Percy Jackson series, Rick Riordan does.** **Sorry if this is all in bold letters, short and doesn't have proper spaces. This is not my first time writing.**

 **Title:** **That One Scar**

 **Percy never had a good life or a calm one.**

 **First of all, his mother marries a jerk that ends up abusing him until he was eleven, being bullied all his life doesn't help. Then he finds out he's a half blood and that monsters are always after him. Then he finds he is part of this huge prophecy that's supposed to raze or save the world and had a few life threatening quests.**

 **When he was sixteen he then fought in a war and Kronos on his birthday, turned down godhood. Two weeks later got kidnapped by Hera for eight months with no memory, got sent to a strict Roman demigod camp. Went on another dangerous quest. Finds out he and another seven are supposed to defeat a Primordial. Falls into Tartarus and survives, fights in another war and single handedly defeats Gaea.**

 **He was physically and mentally tired of this. Percy didn't think he could take much more this. He pretty sure he had PTSD, nightmares, and flashbacks for certain. And thought he has Somniphobia and slight anorexia. Never mind the ADHD and dyslexia too that came with almost all demigods.**

 **Nobody understood how he was feeling. He was the leader, the one everyone looked up to him, he couldn't let everyone see how weak and broken he was on in the inside. He wasn't that boy who let his step father beat him and let Kronos torture him in his dreams inside Tartarus. Inside he doubted that he'd really smiled sense the was six or seven years old.**

 **Perhaps his Mom understood his low self confidence a little bit. Smelly Gabe used to call him "stupid", "fat", "useless" etcetera. His Mom called him "Smart". She understood him better then everyone else, even Grover and Annabeth. People always said he was dumb even if they didn't mean it like "Seaweed Brain" and "Kelp Head" for examples. It hurt him, it really did but they don't need to know that.**

 **Percy was sitting cross legged on the beach, looking at the waves, thinking. Usually he would go in the water but ever sense almost drowning Akhlys, almost drowning in a bog, and being tortured by Kronos to hold his head under poisoned water for long periods of time, he was good. Now he held a irrational fear of drowning and flashbacks would come back to him if he went in the water.**

 **As he thought about his past he didn't notice a certain sun god sitting next to him. "Hey cousin" Grinned the cheerful Apollo at him. He smiled back but it didn't reach his eyes and said as polite as he can "Hey Apollo. What do you need?". Gods never visited without a reason. Apollo frowned "Zeus wants me to flash you to Olympus. The council wants to see you". Of course the council does, their probably voting on his death again, like they always do every summer and winter solstice. Or maybe Zeus wants to throw his lightning bolt at him and vaporize him for being ' too powerful '. Granted he did help defeat Gaea.**

 **Apollo then turned serious and turned to him. He never saw Apollo this serious ever. "I'm sorry for all that will happen" Apollo said firmly. Smilingly sadly he stated "It's not your fault Apollo".**

 **He just was tired, tired of everything. Apollo must be one of the only gods who understood his feelings, the sun god could see how and when his kids and family members died but never is aloud to tell anyone.** **He sighed, lending the god his arm, so he could flash him to the throne room on Olympus.**

 **"Percy?" Apollo asked looking me in the eye "I promise it will get better, everything does eventually. Sometimes a little pain is necessary". He then closed his eyes, sighing softly in content as a sea breeze passed them. The salty smell made him feel at home. Peace. That's what he longed for, peace. "I know Apollo. I'm just tired, tired of everything" He admitted truthfully.**

 **Then they were quiet. The waves were gently lapping their feet and the breeze ruffling their hair, the strawberry sent lingering.** **He just felt content sitting there with Apollo. Not in a crush way but more like a sibling relationship and a family feeling. Like sitting by a fire. A comforting feeling warmed it's way into his heart and his brain vaguely identified it as joy and contentious.**

 **But there was something else he couldn't identify, a sense of familiarity. Apollo was similar to him in a way, the way the god held himself was open but not excessive and over barring.** **A pleased sigh left his lips as Apollo got up from his position next to him and offered him a hand.**

 **His muscles tensed a bit as Apollo asked "You ready?". Was he ready? He didn't know anymore.** **With one longful glance at the beautiful waves calmly lapping the shore, he took Apollo's outstretched hand.**

 **Once Apollo and he had teleported to Olympus, Apollo had left him in favor of going to his golden throne. Apollo had given him a small unnoticeable smile and patted his shoulder in comfort.** **"PERCY JACKSON!" Zeus thunders with a headache inducing voice and making his mortal head throb uncomfortably. "The Gods have called you here on an important realization. Our children have suffered largely in the past due to their mortal parents hands- ".**

 **Percy snorted and crossed his arms, they'd only realized that now? All it took was two wars and thousands of years.**

 **Zeus glared at him, continuing his speech. " -and the Olympian counsel has voted on one demigod to test one of Athena's theory that the most successful demigods have had the worst pasts. Of course this doesn't apply to all demigods of course, but lately demigods have been coming to camp to more scars than usual. That is not unusual- ".**

 **Percy by then had dazed off and noticed that the Olympians were oddly quiet and formal during this whole ordeal. He never remembered a time when they were this serious, even at war. Ares wasn't even mouthing insults at him and Aphrodite wasn't ogling at him as much. Dad had a thoughtful face directed at him, probably wondering if he was okay with this or thinking of his childhood and Apollo looked serious for once.**

 **Percy's childhood was considered horrible by mortal and even immortal standards. Smelly Gabe was an angry drunk and even angrier when he lost his poker game, which he provided the cash for constantly. As a kid, he had to protect his mother from his stepfather. Later he learned that his mother was beaten and even sexually abused. He was hit and kicked repeatedly for mouthing off his stepfather, in his defence Smelly Gabe was bad mouthing his mother. No one talks bad about his mother, not even an immortal.**

 **Welt marks and cigarette marks laced his back and front. They were faded a bit but still prominently there and blended in with his monsters scars. He remembered the story behind every single one of them vividly, like they happened yesterday. He locked the memories in a box at the very back of his mind, never to be opened again. That, along with the memory from there and the wars.**

 **One scar on his wrist stood out more then the others though. It was jagged, white and the scar went from the bottom of his right thumb to three inches diagonally in the opposite direction. No one had ever commented on it before.**

 **"Boy, are you even paying attention!" Artemis snapped impatiently. He jumped and looked up at her startled. He was so focused on tracing his scar with his finger that he barely noticed that the Olympians were waiting for an answer to something. He didn't remember what they were talking about, something about the demigods, camp and scars?** **He frowned, tilting his head.**

 **"Sorry, I got distracted. What were you talking about?" An apology muttered it's way out of his mouth. Normally he wasn't this polite to the beings who ruined his life, but he was rather upset and depressed today.**

 **Zeus opened his mouth angrily to respond, his beard sparking but everyone jumped when Hestia spoke up.**

 **"Percy" She said softly. He turned to her with a frown of confusion. Hestia was by far the nicest goddess to him. She'd shown him something but kindness and expects nothing in return. Everyone except Hestia and his Mother expected him to be this perfect hero who was strong, kept no secrets, and wore his heart on his sleeve. Hestia never expected that or never showed him pity. She was someone safe who he could freely talk too and consult about what he was really feeling like.**

 **Lately he had speaking with her more, the hearth reminded him of family and of his mother. It also reminded him of the one Christmas before Mom married Gabe and they were curled up by the fire place. Mom was reading him stories and they were drinking hot cocoa. It was the place were he could truly forget and loose himself.**

 **"Yes?" He asked, his arms dropping to the floor.** **Hestia smiles warmly motions for him to come sit next to her on the floor by the hearth.** **"Come join me" she offers.**

 **Zeus's mouth opens to protest but shuts immediately. They were in the middle of something important, something that concerns all half bloods, but that damned son of Poseidon wasn't even paying attention! But he couldn't ever say no to Hestia, no one could.**

 **With slow unsteady steps, Percy makes his way to Hestia and plops down next to her. The hearth warms him up nicely and he relaxes slightly, feeling more content and safe then ever before.**

 **Hestia takes slow and deliberate movements, wrapping her small eight year old hands around his right wrist. His vibrant scar visible to everyone in the huge room. "Can you tell me how you got this?" Her small voice asks nicely, in a way that doesn't make him flinch away. He flinches anyway at the reminder of the locked away memory though. He'd locked it away for a reason. A very good reason.**

 **He had been eight years old and rightfully protecting his mothers honor from one of Gabe's poker buddies. The guy had pulled a switch blade on him. He called his mother a bitch, his mother was not a bitch or a whore or anything but generous and nice and a bunch of other kind things. He felt angry for the first time in his life.** **"One of my first stepfather's old poker buddies" he said emotionlessly, sheathing inside. "He insulted my mother and then pulled a blade on me for protecting her honor".**

 **Ares snickered, muttering a ' wimp, she probably deserved it ' under his breath and continued to sharpen his axe. Ares felt the cold eyes of the kid that beat him in a duel years ago on him. The sea green eyes that reminded him so much of his Uncle Poseidon and as the war god, he felt the need to start a fight.**

 **Percy stood up abruptly and stared at Ares, a wave of explosive calmness overcoming him. "That vile son of a bitch, called my mother a whore and a slut! My mother is perhaps the nicest mortal to ever live and she doesn't deserve that bullshit from people! She spent over a decade protecting me from you fucking overly jealous gods and hungry monsters, just because she loved me! She sacrificed her hopes and dreams for me! She even put up with physical and sexual abuse for my well being and charged into the Battle of Manhattan with only a shotgun for you Olympians!" Percy exploded.**

 **The gods watched in awe as the Percy Jackson finally exploded on them because of one comment Ares made.** **Even Zeus was afraid of the demigod now, Percy radiated power but oozed calmness. One moment he was clam but the next he was yelling the truth at there faces. The sea doesn't like to be restrained.** **"I protected her honor because she wasn't there to do it herself! So what if I got a scar from it?! So what if he came at me with a knife and I defended myself?! The people I love is always worth it, the world be damned or not!" Percy yells at there faces.** **Red hot anger was raging through him an** **d this time the hearth didn't calm him as easily as before.**

 **Apollo looked slightly smug like he warned them this would happen if they summoned him again and Hestia was calmly tending to her flames like none of this bothered her.**

 **"I'm not sorry for yelling at you and telling you the truth" Percy said, "But I am sorry for Hestia, Poseidon and Apollo, they doesn't deserve you as their family and I'm sorry for all the mortals and demigods alike who suffer abuse and misfortune everyday like I did or five years of my life. At least they try".** **Percy gives them all a last look of pain and anger before vapor traveling away. Maybe the gods will actually do something about it now.**

 **The gods were left stunned and incredulous, unbelieving a word they had heard but they all agreed on something:**

 **F** **or once** **Perseu** **s Jackson was right.**


	2. Chapter Two

Percy appeared in front of the elevator silently.

Just one vapor travel made him exhausted lately. He has had trouble eating and sleeping after Tartarus. It made him lose energy and weight. Of course he was trying really hard to fix that but nobody really understood. Not even Annabeth.

His life has been so difficult so far and he hasn't even reached twenty yet. He feels about a million years older then he is.

Then the gods had to go and resurface his past from the box it was permanently locked it. It made the peace after Gaea seem nonexistent. Like he was fighting another war. In a way he was, fighting a war in his head.

Sighing, Percy started to walk toward the elevator when a hand placed itself on his shoulder. He tensed, then an ocean smell filled his nose. But he was still tense. What had Dad come for?

"I remember the first time I visited you as a child" A voice told him. "You were so small and I thought you would break when I held you. Of course your mother didn't know I was there. No one did except for myself".

He turned and faced his birth father. Poseidon was just casually standing behind him in his fishing hat and gear. He looked young, maybe a college student with a wispy beard and cowlick. Poseidon was looking wistfully at nothing.

What did this have to do with anything?

"You seemed so happy and unaware. Perhaps I was selfish and wanted you to stay that way forever. You now... Well I now wish that I could turn back time and see that child again. It pains me to see my children grow old and fight wars and come back worse then before or not come back at all." Similar sea green eyes peered into his own. He saw all the sadness and pain.

He gave the god a tight smile. "Sometimes we come back stronger then before, maybe more broken but stronger." He paused and stared thoughtfully at the doors in front of him. "A lot of things happened to me as a child and now I see that it made me stronger not weaker. I wouldn't have done all of the 'heroic' things without it." He continued somehow knowing it was true.

The silence was deafening and the familiar weight of his sword in his pocket made it bearable. Or it made him think of Tartarus. Made him think of something he wished to forget.

Poseidon seemed unaffected by his thoughts or actions as he sat down on the steps that lead off of Olympus and looked glazed at the elevator. He immediately sat down down next to him.

He took Riptide out of his pocket and twirled the pen through his fingers. He looked over the scar from protecting his mother for the hundredth time.

"Do you want to see the scars?" Percy breathed out nervously and anxiously and picked at his jeans. He didn't know why he asked or wanted to pull through with it but he did.

Poseidon deserved to know.

Poseidon snapped out his gaze and looked at him with a sad smile. "Not if you don't want to show me".

He wanted to show him or not show him...? It was confusing. Just the thoughts he needed right now. Distraction, as Annabeth called it. He huffed at himself silently at Poseidon's ever changing eyes like his own. Untameable and powerful.

"I do" He said shifting his body so it facing away from Poseidon and ever so slowly taking his shirt off. Monster scars, belt marks, cigarette burns and more almost filled his back and skin. Most signs of past abuse and war scars.

And Tartarus scars. Don't forget those ones.

Sure Percy bad looking with his swimmers body but the scars made it seem like he was weak. He knew he wasn't close to weak but people tend to think he let that person hit him. Not in his wildest dreams unless of course you were threatening one of his loved ones. Then he'd get run over by a train to save them.

"I wish I was there to protect you" Poseidon whispered and Percy could tell the god was wallowing in self pity. He does the same thing all the time. It again wasn't Poseidon's fault.

Poseidon looked at the scars for another minute or two before he got cold and put his shirt back on. Or he didn't want to remember the times where Smelly Gabe hit him. Same difference.

He gave the god a forceful smile and the god pulled him in for one last hug before saying goodbye and reminding him to visit Atlantis, then walking back towards the throne room with his hands deep in his pockets.

He took a deep breath, then stepped into the elevator.

Floor 550.

Claustrophobia sucks doesn't it?

Especially when your in an elevator that is going 600 stories down at an extremely slow rate. Percy also hates it when time seems to slow down and it feels like forever sense you get past one floor. That and the horrid music, he'd rather Led Zeppelin or Gun's N' Roses.

The good thing is, he hasn't had a flashback or broken down. Yet he was close to one.

Floor 500.

The walls aren't closing in. Nope. Nada. Perfectly normal walls. The intricate designs on the walls were almost distracting enough to you know...distract him. Moreover, he had denial issues he needed to work on later.

Closing his eyes helped a bit and so did leaning against the back wall and thinking of Annabeth.

Hmm.. Annabeth.

Annabeth was probably looking for him right now. Never had he wanted to worry her like when Hera kidnapped him a while ago.

Floor 450.

He wasn't dizzy, nor was sitting on the elevator floor nauseous. When the elevator goes down it kind of goes in circles and it was making him sick.

Motion sickness had never been a problem before now. Besides, he hated being sick. It sucks.

Floor 400.

My gods! Why was this elevator taking forever?! Haephestus needed to fix that.

Flashbacks are creeping up on him. He bet that in the next minute that he'd be deep in one. It reminds him of the time Gabe locked him in the closet as a child and the time Kronos stuffed him in one in his dreams and let all the air out of the closet slowly. Kronos liked to watch him suffer in silence. Then rewind time and do it again.

He doesn't get much sleep.

Floor 350.

"Percy I've never loved you. It was all fake."

"You let her die Percy! It was all your fault!"

"It was all your fault! You killed Luke. You monster!"

"Poison. That's your specialty, right?"

"Oh, good, more water"

"She was terrified of him"

"He didn't want to stop. He wanted to choke this goddess. He wanted to watch her drown in her own poison. He wanted to see just how much misery Misery could take"

"You have spread so much death and suffering, Percy Jackson. Let us repay you"

"The pain in his chest was worse, as if someone were slowly twisting a dagger"

"He'd never really thought about it from the monsters' point of view"

"The air was the breath of Tartarus. All these monsters were just blood cells circulating through his body."

"Pathetic, you really think they love you? The weak little boy who let his step father beat him? Surprise! You haven't changed a bit."

"Calculating and menacing golden eyes pierced his own. A poisonous laugh filled his ears."

"Have fun breathing! Or not breathing!"

"You left me on that island. Are you heartless?"

"You stabbed me Percy. Killed me with your girlfriends dagger that I gave to her!"

"Dozens dead. And you couldn't save any of them? What kind of hero are you?"

"Brain boy needs some more discipline. How would you like it today, belt or knife?"

Floor 200.

He cried softly as warm hands rubbed his shoulder and ran their fingers through his hair gently. He really needed to see who the person was and he needed to get his feelings out. Just...he just needed this in general.

His body was curled in the corner of the elevator. Fatal position against the wall with his knees against his chest. Hot tears were blurring his vision and making his eyes puffy.

"Ssshhh. You're not there anymore." The male person cooed gently. Like he was a baby whining instead of a teenager having a panic attack.

He peaked up and saw Apollo next to him. The god was dressed casually in loose jeans and a sky blue tee shirt.

He looked like an older brother or a friend, not a god. Apollo's expression was softened and concerned.

"Apollo" His name sounded weak and pathetic on his own lips. "I can't deal with it anymore. Pleaseplease...take it away. The guilt is killing me. I'm drowning in bad memories. Gabe, Tartarus, the wars, Luke, Tartarus..."

Apollo pulled his legs out from underneath him so he was just sitting against the wall and sat next to him. Percy's head fell onto the gods shoulder and he just cried all his bottled up feelings, babbling about anything he could think of. Meanwhile, the god of the sun was listening and comforting him by just being there.

Floor 100.

"Like I told you Perce. Everything will get better. It just takes time." Apollo said softly after listening to his rant about cookies.

Percy nodded softly and his eyes shut briefly but he found he couldn't find himself to open them again. He was just tired, tired of it all.

"Just get some dreamless sleep, I'll make sure you won't have nightmares. I'll bring you to your mothers house." Apollo told him and thread his fingers through his hair.

He couldn't help but fall into Hypnos's embrace.

He'd be okay it would just take some time that's all.


	3. Chapter Three

Apollo did protect him that morning or whatever time it was. Percy had gotten the most peaceful sleep he'd ever had sense he was seven.

It nice to for once to you know, drift off into no where and be at peace and have absolutely nothing happen for hours straight. Was it hours? He couldn't tell.

What woke him up though was the smell of blue cookies. Typical right? If he smells blue cookies that means Apollo kept his word and brought him to his mother's house. It wasn't at all surprising. After all, Apollo was different from most gods.

Percy finally cracked his eyes open to see the dim sunlight in his eyes. He groaned and shut them again. With the pillow under his head and his body sinking into the matrice a bit he never wanted to get up. It would be amazing if he could stay here the rest of his life.

But no because Annabeth would miss him. He should call her after he ate something. He did miss her terribly.

The blue Nemo blanket fell off him as he stood up. The ground was cold against his bare feet and he wondered if Apollo had taken his shoes off before putting him to bed.

Anyway, he headed to the dresser to get clothing and then headed to the shower. He doesn't want Mom or Paul to walk in on him in a towel and see the horrible scars now would he?

As he undressed for the shower he tried not to look at himself in the mirror. He doesn't to be reminded of the torment his life is.

Half way to succeeding he manages to glimpse the giant scar on his ribcage. It was long, stretching from the top of his right ribcage and going to the bottom of his left one. The scar wasn't nearly as thick as the one on his hand but it had been painful nonetheless.

Some monster had given it to him. It was a random hellhound he had apparently killed during the Second Titan War. It was how he killed it.

It made his sad to think that monsters get killed by them only to reform in Tartarus, escape and then to die again. Imagine if you had to live through that?

The shower he took was nice and long. It was nice. The only reason he got out was because his stomach was complaining at him.

Nothing could beat Mom's cooking. Nothing, besides Ambrosia and Nectar. But that was a given.

He got dressed in jeans and a his usual blue t-shirt. Then took a satisfied breath and left the room to go find his Mother.

When he passed the living room Paul was in it holding his baby sister, Estelle. Estelle was only a few months old with a tuff of brown hair and dark brown eyes, similar to Paul's. He loved his baby sister already even if he didn't have a lot of time for her.

He smiled at them. It was nice seeing them together.

Estelle made various baby noises as she reached for Paul's hair or something to grab onto. Percy knew Paul knew of his Mom's and his own abuse and would never raise a hand to them. Paul never mentioned it before. It was bound to come up.

He also knew Mom had scars on her hips, sometimes her shirt would come up a bit and he would get a gruesome reminder that his mother went through sexual and physical abuse too. That he hadn't been enough to protect her.

Although, he wasn't sure mom knew he suffered abuse.

Paul glanced up as he walked through the door and smiled back at him. "Hello Percy! Have a nice sleep?" His third fatherly figure asked him.

"It was nice and peaceful." He admitted to the man. "No dreams what so ever." This time his grin was crooked and happy.

Estelle squirmed in Paul's arms and her little head peaked at him. She looked him with big brown eyes and made grabby motions at him, babbling baby nonsense.

Paul laughed a bit and motioned for him to come hold her. "I have to help set the table for you mother anyway. Besides, you two need more bonding time".

He moved toward the couch nervously and sat next to Paul. No matter how many times he held Estelle, he would always be nervous about dropping her or holding her wrong. He hadn't much time lately to visit between training campers, visiting New Rome, gods, Annabeth and Tartarus. He still regretted not visiting sooner.

Estelle settled in his arms with the crook of her head in his chest. She was wide awake and staring at him with a curiously happy look. He felt like he was holding glass, she was so small in his arms.

Paul knowingly smiled and quietly crept out of the room to help Sally.

Percy leaned back against the couch with his legs crossed. As he glazed at Estelle he had a bit of time to think about what happened the last day or so.

The meeting on Olympus was not at all pleasant. By now he would have expected Zeus to throw a fit and blast him with lightning or cruelly punish Apollo for helping a demigod, or him for screaming at them and loosing his temper.

He also expected them to treat him like glass now or be pitiful to him. The one thing he hated was pity. Apollo hadn't had pity for him. Poseidon had some pity for him but mostly it seemed that Poseidon had blamed himself. It wasn't his father's fault.

Then the panic attack in the elevator. He would make sure not to use the elevator again anytime soon. Apollo had been brotherly to him and just was there to comfort him. It gave him a arm feeling in his chest. He'd never really had an older brother figure before. Besides Luke but that was a different story.

He could feel Estelle's soft breath on him as she slept peacefully. A fond smile lit his face.

"Percy!" He could hear his mother call from the kitchen. "Dinner time!".

Tomorrow he would Iris message Annabeth and return to Camp. Right now he would just enjoy his family.


	4. Chapter Four

The nightmare that night had been horrible.

He was seven years old again in his Mom's old apartment. Smelly Gabe's beer cans and trash littered the living room. Smelly Gabe himself was sitting in the couch and playing poker with his buddies.

Percy at the time had known his mother was at work and would be home soon. Even though he was seven, he had a decent grasp of his Mom's work hours.

Mommy hold him she worked three jobs and wasn't home often. He loved when she was though. Smelly Gabe wasn't as mean to him.

Today Smelly Gabe had told him to sit and be quiet in his room all day. Which was hard for Percy sense he couldn't sit still.

He could hear Smelly Gabe's buddies drunkenly laughing and he tried to ignore them and color his picture blue.

"Haha! Gabe when's the last time you had sex with the bitch? I heard she screamed!" One of the men drunkenly slurred. "I bet it was great!".

Little Percy didn't know what they were talking about but couldn't help but hear. All he had known was that they were insulting his mother and he didn't like it. Mommy said not to use those words, they were bad words.

Smelly Gabe laughed right along side his buddies and bragged. "Of course the slut did! She thinks she's protecting her idiot of a son!".

His lips trembled a bit as Smelly Gabe and his buddies made fun of Mommy. Mommy was nice, she didn't deserve this. He didn't like this.

"I need a beer! Kid bring me a beer!" One of the men shouted out at him.

He stood up on shaky legs and ran to the kitchen as fast as possible. Little Percy almost tripped about a dozen times going to the fridge. They didn't like to be kept waiting.

As he approached the round table and handed the man his beer the men continued to make fun of his Mommy. They called her bad words and such.

"Mommy is not those words." The exclamation was quiet but the men all turned towards him. He fought the erg to whimper and cower. He wouldn't give Gabe the satisfaction though. "Mommy is nice and very kind."

Smelly Gabe turned his disgusted gaze on him and raised his drunken eyebrows. Then he laughed loudly. "How would you know that brain boy? She's never here." He slurred the words.

One of Gabe's 'friends' (Percy thought his name was Charles), snickered and sloshed his drink all over himself while pointing his fat finger at him. "Do you even discipline this boy Gabe? He's questioning you." The very overweight man was talking to his step father but was looking at him.

"Mommy said differently." The words were out of Percy's mouth before his seven year old brain could comprehend. He didn't want one of Gabe's punishments again. But he couldn't let them talk bad about Mommy.

The drunk Charles growled at his smart remark and abruptly stood up. "You kid! Keep your mouth shut! You have no right to talk! So what if the cunt said differently?!"

He was scared. What was the man going to do to him? Would it be like Gabe? He wanted to cry.

Smelly Gabe just looked at him with disgust and loathing. Like he wanted to either torture him or kill him in cold blood.

"Mommy is not!" The words passed his lips right as he thought it. His fear became ten times stronger when Charles growled and pulled something out of his pocket.

Percy barely had time to put his hands up to protect his face before something when flying at him. It was the last thing he remembered as his world became blank.

Percy Jackson woke up abruptly in the middle of the night in cold sweat.

Oh gods, he thought, they're returning. By they he means the nightmares about his old step father. His first step father was long dead but somehow it didn't comfort him.

The blanket had been kicked off the bed in mid dream and his limbs everywhere on the bed. There wasn't even drool on his pillow. That was a bad sign, he always drools.

His breath was coming out in small pants and he fought to calm his heartbeat a bit. It had been threatening to beat through his chest. He doubted that Annabeth would like it if her boyfriend just suddenly died after a nightmare from a heart attack. After all they had been through together for nothing.

She'd probably raise him from the dead with just anger and then kill him again. Yeah that sounded like Annabeth when she was angry of course.

Now he felt compelled to bring her on a date just so she wouldn't kill him. Do you think the gods would be kind enough to flash them to Paris again?

It was nice last time. Besides the mini quest but it was still nice.

With his thoughts somewhat soothed, he thought that he should probably sleep some more. He doesn't think he'll be able to. It was only 4:32 p.m. Then maybe a shower to pass time?

Hmmm, that sound great.

When he finally willed himself to get out of the water and put at least sweat pants and underwear on, it was six o'clock. An hour and a half wasn't so bad for a shower if he said so himself.

Water felt safe. Water also felt like home, then again so did all of his Mom's house.

Mom was in the kitchen when he entered. Estelle was wide awake in her car seat and squealed a bit at him as he passed and was grinning with her gums.

"When did Estelle wake up this morning?" He mused to his Mother who seemed to be cooking eggs and toast for breakfast. And he totally forgot that he had no shirt on at the moment. His torso was bare except with scars.

Mom didn't even jump to turn around at the sound of his voice. "She was up about an hour ago, apparently she was too excited to sleep."

He could smell breakfast and it was making his stomach turn a bit. In both hunger and nausea. Nausea because of the nightmare and hunger because well...he was hungry.

He'd actually rather not eat anything and feel fine then eat something and throw it all up. His weight loss could account to that and the fact that he hated being sick.

Throw up was nasty and absolutely gross.

"For me or for breakfast?" He wondered to her. Musing yet again. "Because I'd be excited for breakfast".

Mom finished up breakfast and laughed a bit at him exasperatedly. She put plates with eggs and toast on the table before looking at him.

Then looked at his upper torso in shock and her face drained white.

Oh, he thought again, I forgot that I didn't put a shirt on and Mom can see my scars.

He subtly tried to leave the kitchen. Now he felt self conscious and winced. His plan almost succeeded until he heard his mother talk.

"Perseus" Blue eyes and a sad gaze fell on him and he suddenly felt guilty for trying to leave the kitchen.

Percy froze and couldn't find himself to look down at his scars. It would remind him of Tartarus, Gabe and everything else.

The breakfast totally forgotten, Mom closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her grey strands in her hair seemed to grow.

Percy felt shaky and about to cry. He never wanted his mother to see this. He couldn't- he couldn't look at white scars lacing his upper chest and abdomen. They would just bring bad and unwanted memories.

Her sad eyes looked away. "Go put a shirt on." Mom tried to scold him but he was the one to close his eyes this time. The tears would on slot if he didn't. Usually he couldn't cry this easily but after nightmares he found it disturbingly easy to.

He fought the tears and opened his eyes. He couldn't cry in front of Mom and Estelle. He had to be strong and breaking down was the worst way to do that.

"I can't- I can't look at them." The words sounded weak and a bit pathetic to his own ears.

Mom looked tired, sad and down right exhausted to bits. He knew the feeling all too well.

"They- they just- I can't-" He couldn't say it okay. He just couldn't say it aloud. The words wouldn't come out right or at all.

He just couldn't admit it. Not to Mom. Admit that he needed help. He couldn't eat, couldn't sleep without nightmares, or even ride an elevator without totally falling to pieces.

He should have put a shirt on.


	5. Chapter Five

**A/N: What should I do with this story? I don't have a clue. Anyway, thanks for the comments and likes! I appreciate it. Enjoy some Percabeth!** **Hopefully I can get all the gods to help Percy eventually.**

After that little fiasco he went to his room and decided to call Annabeth. He doesn't want to think about what had happened or his nightmare which he was avoiding thinking about.

It was a split second decision and before Percy knew it he was already Iris Messaging her. He had to be strong for her.

The message formed and he got the first glimpse of his wise girl sense a day or two ago. He could feel a tug in his heart strings as he saw her.

Annabeth was working at her small desk in the Athena cabin. Her princess hair was in a messy bun on the top of her head. Architect papers spread around. She looked concentrated and very focused.

Percy smiled, he loved her very much.

"Annabeth" He mused to her, laughing a bit to himself as she jumped a foot in the air.

"Percy!" She exclaimed blushing lightly at being caught off guard. "How was the meeting?".

He shrugged at her question. She was only concerned for his well being but be strong anyways. "It went good I suppose. How was your day?".

She seemed to catch on that he didn't want to talk about it and started rambling about her plans for Olympus and New Rome. He didn't understand half of what she was saying but he knew the daughter of Athena was going to bring it up later.

Besides, it was nice to hear her voice again. It was his aphrodisiac. He was going back tomorrow and was somewhat excited. Yet also dreading. Camp would be hard and would bring back memories but at least he would see his wise girl.

"Percy?" Her voice was soft but was however sad. It tugged him out of his thoughts. His Annabeth shouldn't be sad.

Percy focused on her with questioning eyes.

"Are you really okay? You've been distant sense the war. I know everyone's still recovering. I've known you long enough to know that you're not okay." Annabeth said cautiously, wincing at the mention of the Giant War.

Percy bit his lip and sighed. Of course he wasn't okay.

"I'll be okay, I promise." He said truthfully. He would be okay, he promised it. Everyone was depending on it. People always said he was the leader so if he didn't set an example it would end up badly. People would follow his example. "Are you okay?".

Annabeth gave him a small smile and sighed. "I'm fine Percy. It's been difficult but I'm good. You should worry about yourself for once. Just focus on being more stable and it's okay if staying at your Mom's house helps you."

He wanted to argue but he knew he was pliable to break down at any minute of any day. Something random could set him off. Like scars or an elevator.

"Okay." He was uncertain for some reason.

"I love you Seaweed brain. Don't do anything stupid." Annabeth smiled at him fondly.

Percy smiled back at her with a crooked smile. "I love you too and when am I not doing something stupid?".

She gave him a mischievous smirk. "I don't know. When aren't you? You tell me."

He genuinely laughed. "Hey!"

And then the Iris Message was cut off by Annabeth's hand and the last thing he saw was her beautiful grin.

Percy was left grinning and pink cheeked. He doesn't think he'll ever stop loving her.


	6. Chapter Six

"Boy, you should tell her the truth." A feminine voice scowled at him.

Percy's face drained white as he spun around to see the goddess Artemis leaning up against the wall of his doorway. Her arms were crossed and the scowl was definately there. She was in her twelve year old form.

"I don't get why male's think they shouldn't show emotions to their girlfriends. Granted, you are better then most male's out there but you're still a male." The goddess of the hunt rolled her eyes at his astonished expression of when she complimented him. Or as close of a compliment he was going to get.

The only thing he could say was: "W-what are you doing here?" He studdered pathetically and tried to get ahold of his surprise at the sudden appearance of the goddess. Nevermind the compliment.

Twelve year old Artemis rolled her eyes again and muttered something under her breath about 'idiot male's'.

"Checking on you, you imbecile. I may hate when my brother flirts with my hunters but his judgement is usually right when it comes to someone he cares about."

He was surprised. Apollo cares about him? He thought gods tried not to care for demigods and mortals. Apparently he was the exception. He shouldn't be that surprised considering the elevator incident and before he went to Olympus.

Somehow that made feel slightly happier knowing that Apollo cared about him in some way.

"I didn't know you thought that way about me sis', I'm honored!" A teasing voice exclaimed from behind Artemis.

She only rolled her eyes and scowled, not even looking back at her younger brother. The young looking goddess just snapped her fingers and before he could react, she was gone.

The only god left standing was Apollo. The god looked like the last time he saw him, a blonde haired teen with khaki shorts and a muscle t-shirt. He also was wearing flip flops which gave it a beach appearance.

Apollo came in his room while ginning ear to ear. "Hey Perce!" The blinding smile was directed at him now.

He kind of just shrugged off the conversation with Artemis. He finds that while the Olympian's care for him a little bit, their actions can speak louder then words. Most of the Olympian's either hate him or don't like showing their tolerence. He say affection but he'd pissed them all off at least at some point.

But Apollo was different in that aspect. He showed when he cared for someone a great deal and if he hates you, you can tell. Which was alot like him in a way and it made him more comfortable.

Percy cracked a grin at the sun god.

On second thought, after this he might go skate boarding but that might also be to avoid talking to his mother about his scars even though he knows she won't force him. Mom already knew he had scars before but not to this extent.

"What are you thinking about?" The sun god asked curiously.

Percy grinned again. He really does want to go skate boarding. "That I need to go skate boarding again." And it was true.

Apollo laughed.

Percy Jackson felt free.

The wind was hitting his face in the right way. And for once his mind was clear, or as clear as it was going to get. Yes he was worrid about monster attacks and yes he was worrid about a ton of other things.

But at the moment he couldn't find himself to care.

"Percy?" His mother called out to him as he entered the house after a long day of skate boarding.

Percy shut the door behind him as gently as he could. "Yeah, it's me Mom!" He answered. The skate boarding had left him pumped with adrenaline and had lowered his ADHD.

"Can you set up the plates for me? It's almost dinner time." Mom asked him as he walked past the kitchen with his skate board.

"Let me put my skate board away first". Percy chirped from his room.

Momments later he in the place kitchen with Mom. Mom was practically dancing around the kitchen trying to finish stuff. The air was slightly tense but was better than he expected. Mostly he just occupied himself with setting the table though.

"Are you going back to Camp soon?" Mom asked in a softer concerned tone.

"Yeah." He figured, he had avoided it long enough. Plus Annabeth was there. "I've avoided it long enough. Plus, I miss Annabeth and school starts soon anyway and she'll have to fly to San Francisco. So I won't see her for a while."

The love struck grin was suddenly was back on his face. All the anxiety melted into a puddle.

It was upseting that the summer was almost over but he needed the thinking space. Being the leader was hard but it was harder when you needed to be strong. Annabeth helped with that by sometimes taking the leadership role off his shoulders.

'The weight of the world isn't on your shoulders anymore, seaweed brain.' He heard her voice in his head. 'You're still Camp leader. You didn't get nominated for that role, your actions lead to that role. All we want is for you to be youself.'

He figures she was right.


End file.
